Car roof



CAR ROOF Filed Oct. 17, 1938 INVENTOR WILLIAM E.B|KLE FIG.4.

ATTORNEYS Patented Get. 3, 1939 William E. Bilrle, Earle Ridge, 111.,assignor, by

mesne assignments,

to Standard Railway Equipment Manufacturing Gompany, a corporation. ofDelaware Application (ictelier 1'21 4 Giaims.

The invention relates to car roofs of the all metallic rigid typeincluding carlines and roofing sheets. It is usual in the constructionof this type of roof to extend the roofing sheets transversely of theroof between adjacent carlines and to fashion the marginal portions forengagement with said carlines. One reason for this con struction is thatstandard widths of rolled sheets are sufficient for the purpose whereassheets of o a width corresponding to the width of the car roof are notat present commercially available. On the other hand, there is nothingto definitely limit the length to which sheets may be rolled so that ifdesired this might correspond to the length of the car.

It is the object of the present invention to obtain a. construction ofcar roof in which the roofing sheets may be extended longitudinally ofthe roof to cover a series of carlines or even to extend the full lengthof the car. While this necessitates the use of a plurality of sheets tocover the entire Width of the car, I have deviced a construction inwhich this feature is advantageous and further contributes to thestrength and rigidity of the structure. The invention therefore consistsin the novel construction as hereinafter set forth.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the roof of my improved construction;

Figure 2 is a cross section through one-half of the car taken on theline 22 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an enlarged section on line 3-3 of Figure 1; and

Figure 4 is a similar View of a slightly modified construction.

The carlines A may be of any suitable construction, such for instance asinverted channels having laterally extending foot flanges A. At theeaves these carlines are suitably attached to the side plates B of thecar frame and as shown are provided with downturned portions A which areriveted to upstanding flanges B of the plates.

In the construction of car roofs of this type the transverse contour isto some extent determined by convenience in the fashioning of theroofing sheets which conform thereto. Thus, with sheets having offsetmarginal portions any departure from a plane requires the use ofexpensive dies, as well as subjecting the metal to drawing or upsettingstresses. With my improved construction this difiiculty is eliminatedand consequently a contour may be selected which is most advantageous insecuring the 1933, Serial No, 235,531

greatest internal storage capacity while remaining within the externalclearance diagram. Thus, as specifically illustrated, the carlines Aquite closely conform to the clearance diagram indicated at C andinclude portions A adjacent to and upon opposite sides of the ridgewhich are of comparatively slight downward pitch; portions A adjacent tothe portions A of somewhat greater pitch; and portions A extending fromthe portions A to the eaves and of still greater pitch.

As above stated, the roofing sheets extend 1ongitudinally of the roofand are formed of a plurality of sections. These as shown include acentral section D and sections D and D on opposite sides thereof. Thesection D conforms generally to the shape of the portion A of thecarlines, while the portions D and D conform to the shape of theportions A and A and also the downturned portion A As the cross sectionis the same throughout the length of the sheet it can be readilyfashioned by rolling, thereby avoiding the necessity of using dies. Theadjacent marginal portions of these sections are overlapped, but insteadof being exactly parallel to each other they are extended for a shortdistance respectively in the planes of the carline portions A and A andare then bent into contact. As illustrated in Figures 2 and 3, thesection D is extended outward beyond the first point of contact with thesection D as indicated at- E, and is then bent downward at E to contactwith the section D being provided with a flange E? parallel thereto. Thesection D continues upward in its original plane to its point of contactwith the section D and then is bent to form a flange F parallel to saidsection. The flanges E and F are then welded to the portions adjacentthereto, thereby forming a hollow longitudinally extending beam whichimparts rigidity to the structure. It will be noted that such structuredoes not form any obstruction to the drainage of water oil from theroof, as the portion E is in the same plane as the portion D and theportions E and E are bent downward.

With the construction just described shown in Figure 3 the carline A isformed with a slightly depressed portion A for receiving the flange Fand permitting the section D to rest upon the portion A In the modifiedconstruction illustrated in Figure 4, this depressed portion is omittedand the section D is formed with an upturned portion G and flange Glying within the space between the planes of the portions D and D. Thisstill forms the hollow beam which functions as a purline and impartsrigidity to the structure. The construction as above described can bemanufactured at relatively low cost inasmuch as the roofing sheets areoriginally rolled to the desired cross section and require no furtherfashioning. Thus the only labor required in assembly is the welding ofthe seams; attachment to the carlines preferably by spot-welding, andthe riveting or otherwise securing the downturned portions to the sideplates of the car frame. If desired, the entire roof including thecarlines may be assembled ed the car and subsequently attached thereto.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A car roof comprising a series of carlines and a plurality of roofingsheets extending over said carlines longitudinally of the car and havingnon-parallel overlapping portions marginally welded to each other toform a hollow beam.

2. A car roof comprising a series of carlines fashioned to substantiallythe desired cross sectional contour of the roof and a plurality ofroofing sheets extending over said carlines longitudinally of the carand of a substantially corresponding contour, said roofing sheets havingspaced overlapping portions marginally welded to each other and forminga hollow truss or beam extending longitudinally of the car.

3. A car roof comprising a series of carlines having the portionsthereof adjacent the eaves fashioned to provide substantially maximuminternal capacity within prescribed external clearance and also havingadjacent portions of diiTerent angular pitch, and a plurality of roofingsheets extending over said carlines longitudinally of the car andsubstantially conforming to the contour of said carlines, said roofingsheets having adjacent overlapping portions which are respectively inthe planes of the differently pitched portions of said carlines andterminate in contacting parallel marginal portions welded to each otherthereby forming a hollow beam extending longitudinally of the carwithout obstruction to the roof pitch.

4. A car roof comprising a series of carlines having the portionsthereof adjacent to the eaves fashioned to a curve providingsubstantially maximum internal capacity within prescribed externalclearance, and a plurality of roofing sheets extending over said seriesof carlines longitudinally of the car, said sheets being rolled to across sectional contour corresponding to the contour of the carlines theadjacent edges of said sheets having spaced overlapping portionsmarginally welded to each other to form a hollow truss or beam extendingongitudinally of the car and said sheets being also welded to thecarlines.

WILLIAM E. BIKLE.

